By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
Harare, Zimbabwe — Zimbabwe’s celebrated gospel artist Sabastian Magacha found himself in the spotlight for reasons beyond his music this week, as a court ordered him to pay US$200 monthly child support despite revealing that his annual royalties amount to only US$120 equivalent to roughly 33 cents a day.
Magacha appeared before the Harare Civil Court to respond to allegations from the mother of his six-year-old child, accusing him of neglect.
While the case primarily focused on parental responsibilities, Magacha’s testimony shed light on a deeper crisis within Zimbabwe’s music industry: the severe undercompensation of artists by rights organizations such as ZIMURA.
In court, Magacha disclosed that his main source of income is royalties from his music, which he described as “limited and unreliable.”
Despite being one of Zimbabwe’s most recognizable gospel artists, he revealed that the total royalties paid to him for 2024 were just US$120—a figure that has ignited concern over the earnings of Zimbabwe’s musicians.
“I survive on my work as a gospel artist,” Magacha stated under oath, providing documentation from ZIMURA to back his claim.
“My total royalties for 2024 were US$120, paid as a once-off annual sum, which is far from enough to support my family or meet my financial obligations.”
The court’s decision to impose a US$200 monthly child support obligation, despite this modest income, has sparked a wider conversation about the economic realities faced by Zimbabwean artists and the effectiveness of royalty collection agencies.
Critics argue that if established artists like Magacha earn so little, emerging and lesser-known musicians are likely receiving even less or nothing raising questions about the sustainability of the local music industry.
Industry insiders and artists alike are calling for urgent reforms to ensure fairer compensation and transparency from rights organizations. Many believe that the current royalty system fails to reflect the value of artists’ work, leaving them impoverished despite their contributions to Zimbabwe’s cultural identity.
Magacha’s case has underscored a critical issue: the disconnect between Zimbabwean artists’ prominent public profiles and their often dire financial realities.